


Romeo and Lucy Carlyle

by sweaterweatheridk



Category: Lockwood & Co. - Jonathan Stroud
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Normal High School, Drama AU, F/M, Fluff, High School, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Theatre
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:16:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29665098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweaterweatheridk/pseuds/sweaterweatheridk
Summary: The infamous play 'Romeo and Juliet' is being performed at Fittes High School, and Lucy Carlyle is the spotlight operator.
Relationships: George Cubbins & Holly Munro, Lucy Carlyle & Anthony Lockwood, Lucy Carlyle/Anthony Lockwood
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	Romeo and Lucy Carlyle

_O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?_

It’s sweet, isn’t it? One of the most popular lines in all of literature, spoken by the grand queen of all of Shakespeare’s work. She’s supposed to represent naivety and pureness, but to me, she represents a stupid teenager doing stupid things. But you didn’t hear that from me.

Holly Munro— my closest friend— was one of the first people to sign up for the school play with that sparkly glitter gel pen that was her favorite for ‘good luck,’ and the second she heard me say my _very rightful_ opinion, she whacked me upside the head and nearly gave me a concussion. 

Do I regret it? Oh, no. I’d do it again in a heartbeat, even if I have to sit through all of her practices because I have nothing better to do.

“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” Holly said, clutching her chest as if it was aching. She looked dramatically into the distance, and she hugged her arms to console herself from whatever the hell this Romeo-guy did to her. I did my best to not roll my eyes since she said that she could— and I quote— ‘sense the delinquency from a mile away,’ and instead just closed my eyes and rested my head on the top of my chair. If I can’t see her, she can’t see me. “Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I’ll no longer be a _Capulet._ ”

If Holly was on an actual balcony instead of a wooden block, I’m sure she would’ve thrown herself onto the railing and sigh dramatically to add an extra ‘dramatic flare.’ If it wasn’t for the fact she was wearing leggings and a blouse, I thought she was a very convincing Juliet considering she doesn’t have her costume yet. 

And again, she was standing on a wooden block instead of a balcony.

The boy that was playing Romeo crept from his hiding place from the imaginary bushes and winked at me. “Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?” My ears felt hot, and I sunk deeper into my chair.

Holly turned herself away from him, her hair flipping in the wind as she kept herself open to the audience. She made eye contact with me and did her best not to snicker. “‘Tis but thy name that is my enemy; thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man!”

I grinned. _Good. Just like we practiced._ The director wrote something down on his clipboard, nodding as he did so.

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell just as sweet.” Holly took a deep breath, her eyes fluttering to a close as she paused. 

Unfortunately for her, that was enough to stop me from paying attention (not her fault— I’m a very impatient person) and grab the remnants of my math homework. I’ve already done it twice over, checking the answers and scribbling whatever corrections needed to pass the time. There’s a lot of things you can do in three hours, and I’ve learned to be efficient.

I was halfway through the third problem set when a shadow covered my worksheet in the shape of a tall man that was halfway through tearing his hair out. Hesitantly, I looked up at Mister Barnes, the director, and smiled politely. My pencil tapped idly against my binder while he settled his hands on his hips.

“Miss Carlyle, yes?”

He was the only teacher I knew to use such honorifics, and I did my best not to cringe. “Yes sir.”

“Oh, don’t call me sir. That makes me feel old.” Mister Barnes took a seat two chairs away from me, glancing at Holly and the boy as they practiced. “I see you actually listened to me this time.”

“Sorry?”

“Keep your feet off the chairs— they’re expensive, and this isn’t your house,” Mister Barnes explained.

It took me a moment to realize he was trying to be funny. “Oh, right— I didn’t do that this time. Yes.”

“Good, very good… I came over here to ask you something.”

“Like what?” I started to sweat. _He’s probably going to kick me out of the theatre._

“Do you…” He scratched his chin. “Do you like theatre?”

_Not at all._ “Yeah… it’s alright.” _You **liar.**_

“It’s a shame we didn’t see you at auditions, then.”

I audibly _laughed_ in his face and shook my head, ignoring the distracted and annoyed glare Holly sent my way. “I don’t think you understand— I am a _terrible _actress. I can’t act to save my life.”__

__“You never know, maybe you’re secretly very good-”_ _

__“I’m not, I can promise you that much,” I chuckled. ‘Romeo’ said something to Holly, reaching upwards to try to touch her hand. The light illuminated his hair, and it was a miracle Holly didn’t break character and swoon (or laugh, she’s very funny that way). “I don’t know how people can do it, you know? I respect Holly a lot for being able to memorize all those lines and whatnot.”_ _

__“It isn’t as challenging as it makes out to be, I can guarantee that.” I turned to Mister Barnes. “I came over here to ask you if you’d be interested in working tech for the show.”_ _

__I raised a brow. “Tech?”_ _

__“You know what tech is, don’t you? It’s the things behind the scenes, such as pulling the curtains, setting up the props, et cetera. The senior that used to run one of our spotlights, a lovely boy named Mister Robin, graduated last year, and for all I know, you might like that job. Besides, I pride myself on having a student run tech crew,” Mister Barnes said in a voice that didn’t sound prideful _or_ excited. But he wasn’t cold either. Just tired. “I figured since you’re here all the time, you must have some type of appreciation for the arts like Miss Munro. Plus, she mentioned to me your… situation.”_ _

__Blood pumped into my ears. “My situation?”_ _

__“You and Miss Munro carpool together, yes?” Mister Barnes asked, almost amused. “Don’t be embarrassed— my best friend and I were attached at the hip at your age, so I don’t put it past you. She says you live relatively far away, and she and her mother take you to and from school.”_ _

__I slumped in my seat and pretended my sigh of relief was a yawn. “Yeah, that’s true.”_ _

__“And I’m guessing you don’t have Mrs Munro pick you up after school because you like theatre?”_ _

__It also saved her gas money. “Also… true.”_ _

__“Tech week is a few weeks away, and our set is going to be built this weekend. If you’re interested in any position, feel free to let me know anytime. I figured that since you’re here all the time, you’d like to do… other things with your time instead of whatever assignment you have there.” Mister Barnes laughed at himself while I just nodded along. “You don’t have to say yes, but I’m warning you— it’s going to be very hectic when tech week happens, and while I’m not against having you as our ‘special audience member,’ I can’t promise that you can stay in the theatre-”_ _

__“No, no, I understand,” I cut in. I smiled at him and, to seal the deal, shrugged my shoulders to show him that I didn’t care at all. Whether I did or not was up for debate. “I’ll think about it. Operating a spotlight seems fun.”_ _

___The only problem would be I have no idea how to use one._ “Excellent! If you sign up, the Head Spotlight Operator or the Stage Manager would help you, I’m sure of it. Or I’ll make them. Same difference. Do you know them? The Operator is Quill Kipps and the Stage Manager is Skully.”_ _

__“Skully?” I asked._ _

__Mister Barnes nodded. “He won’t let anyone call him anything else. At this point, I’ve forgotten his real name.”_ _

__“Oh. Alright.” Mister Barnes stood, and a weight that was on his shoulders disappeared. He probably hated talking to new people as much as I did. “Um… thank you, Mister Barnes. For the offer.”_ _

__Mister Barnes smiled at me warmly and patted the air above my head like I was a dog. “Anytime, Miss Carlyle. Let me know your answer as soon as possible.” With the flair of a high school teacher, Mister Barnes’ posture shifted as he faced Holly and the boy. “And as for the _two of you—_ I’m in the very back of the theatre and I can barely hear you! Project your voices or just go home!”_ _

__“I’d like to go home,” the boy piped up._ _

__“Mister Lockwood, I will drop you from this show and make Mister Cubbins play Romeo! Don’t test me!”_ _

__***_ _

__“What did Mister Barnes want from you?” Holly asked as we walked out of the theatre. She zipped up her jacket and rubbed her hands together, half of her water bottle already drained and her legs shaking from the cold. “He isn’t asking you to leave, is he?”_ _

__“No… well, technically, he implied it for tech week-”_ _

__“Lucy-”_ _

__“But he was asking if I was interested in being… what do you call them? It starts with a ‘t…’”_ _

__“You mean a techie?” Holly grinned. There was a look of menace in her eyes. “Oh my God— he asked you to work _tech?!_ ”_ _

__I scoffed. “Don’t get too excited for me-”_ _

__“But that’s so exciting!”_ _

__“It really isn’t-”_ _

__“You’ll get to meet new people-”_ _

__“Disgusting-”_ _

__“Get new skills-”_ _

__“Holly, I don’t think turning on a giant flashlight is a _skill-_ ”_ _

__“And I’ll be able to force you to spend more time with me!” Holly clapped her hands together and squealed. “I can make you a _theatre kid!_ ”_ _

__I backstepped and held up my hands to stop her. “No, no— no. _First of all_ , I like spending time with you in the first place-”_ _

__“Awwwww, that’s so embarrassing-”_ _

__“And _second of all,_ ” I hissed, pointing an accusing finger at her. “Theatre kids are a _disease_ and I will not take part in it.”_ _

__“Well that’s rather rude, isn’t it?” A voice asked from behind us._ _

__My feet stopped dead in their tracks while Holly just rolled her eyes. “Lockwood, what did I tell you about eavesdropping?”_ _

__The boy gave us a bright smile and shrugged, his eyes scrunching together as he walked between us. Holly chuckled while I moved to give him an arm’s length of distance. For room. “You said that it was for creeps and charming, dashing people.”_ _

__“I did _not_ say the last part.”_ _

__“Ah. Well, I must have misheard you.” Lockwood extended a hand to me, offering me to shake it. “You’re Lucy Carlyle, aren’t you? I’m Anthony Lockwood. We have English together.”_ _

__Of course I knew that. How could I forget him? He wrote incredibly good essays and said the funniest jokes in the whole class. He sat a few chairs ahead of me, which meant that every time he scratched the back of his head as he was reading his book, I’d be forced to watch him. But other than that— and _this_ — I’ve never spoken to him before. I doubt I’d say anything impressive anyways, so that doesn’t bother me too much._ _

__I stared at his hand and took it carefully, a reluctant smile growing on my face as we shook hands. “Yes… I’m aware.” His hands were warm and smooth, and mine had more calluses than all the stars in the galaxy. If he was bothered by it, he didn’t show it— instead, he just pulled me towards him so that there’d be less space between us. “You play a very good Romeo.”_ _

__“You think so?” He asked, his face lighting up. “Thank you! I do my best!”_ _

__Holly tapped my arm and shook her head. “Luce, don’t inflate his ego. He has a big enough head already.”_ _

__Lockwood glared at her. “Hey! Don’t say that in front of her!”_ _

__Holly laughed. “Oh yeah? Why not?”_ _

__Lockwood’s face flushed. “That doesn’t matter! The _point_ that I was going to get to was that I overheard your conversation-”_ _

__“Because you were eavesdropping,” I said with a light tease in my voice._ _

__He flinched. “I was _not_ — that doesn’t matter. What _matters_ is that I heard that you, Lucy, were asked to do tech by ol’ Barnes, huh?”_ _

__“Don’t call him old-”_ _

__“I think you should do it!” Lockwood said over Holly’s voice. I laughed at the (playfully) annoyed expression on her face. “My friend is the Assistant Stage Manager. His name is George Cubbins. The two of you have Yoga together, right?”_ _

__“ _Unfortunately,_ ” I grumbled. George and I have an unspoken hatred for each other that will never in a million years be settled. Unless, of course, one of the kids in class starts throwing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at him. Then it's free game. (I think one of them’s arms is still broken from when I shoved him, but I digress.)_ _

__“He really enjoys it! Georgie is very good at his job, and he seems to thrive in his little cubby hole.” Lockwood nudged my arm. “That’s what I call the booth where all the tech people go.”_ _

__“You call him _Georgie?_ ” Holly asked with an amused smile._ _

__“Yes, I think it’s a wonderful name that should be tried more often. Either way, Lucy, I think you might like it! And besides, I’m sure you’d be very good at it. I know Mister Barnes gave you the whole ‘you have one week to decide-’”_ _

__“Actually, he said that I could take as much time as I needed before tech week,” I interrupted._ _

__Lockwood’s mouth flung open. “That _bastard_ — he is _always so picky_ with _details_ — it doesn’t matter! Doesn’t matter.”_ _

__“I’m starting to think it does,” I said teasingly._ _

__He laughed, thankfully. I couldn’t tell if he’d think it was funny or not. Lockwood just kept going as if nothing happened. “What _matters_ is that… well…” He scratched the back of his head._ _

__“I think what Lockwood is _trying_ to say is that you should be a spotlight operator,” Holly said with a delighted smile. The menacing look in her eyes was still there, but it was less defined. “And I agree. You’d be good for it.”_ _

__“Well…” Lockwood stared at me, almost hopefully. Whatever I had for lunch today stirred in my stomach anxiously the longer I looked at him. “We’ll see… that _is_ three people that have told me I should… I think I might.”_ _

__“Really?!” Lockwood asked._ _

__“ _Really?_ ” Holly asked, a teasing tilt in her voice._ _

__I didn’t have time to decipher her tone. “At this point… I have nothing to lose.”_ _

__“That’s the spirit!” Lockwood said excitedly. “I can’t wait to-”_ _

___**HONK! HONK!**_ _ _

__“Holly! Lucy! I’m not waiting all day over here!” Mrs Munro yelled._ _

__Holly cupped her hands around her lips. “Coming, Mom!” She started jogging to the car and gestured for me to follow. “Come on, Lockwood can pester you later.”_ _

__“He isn’t _pestering_ me,” I said, chasing after her. “I don’t mind him!”_ _

__“Hey! Wait! Lucy!” I glanced over my shoulder at Lockwood and his little smile. “I’ll see you in English tomorrow, yeah?”_ _

__“Yeah!” I called back._ _

__“Unless she gets sick!” Holly yelled as she hopped into the passenger side of the car._ _

__“Bug off, Holly!” I shot back, opening the back door. I waved to Lockwood before I closed the door, and he waved back with an easy expression on his face._ _

__Buckling my seatbelt, I listened to Mrs Munro ask about our day (“it was good!” “it was fine.”) and if rehearsal was any fun (“it was alright-” “I loved it!”). It took Holly one second afterwards to turn back at me with a smirk, and less than that to say, “so how come you said you’d do it when _Lockwood_ asked, huh?”_ _

__“Lockwood? Who’s that again? Isn’t he playing Romeo?” Mrs Munro asked. “And what are you saying yes to?”_ _

__I sunk into my seat and groaned._ _

__Mrs Munro laughed. “Alright, fine. Holly will tell me everything later.”_ _

__“What?! No!” In my seat, I twisted back to see if I could spot Lockwood, as if that when I saw him, I might be able to erase him from existence. The car was already moving, but that didn’t stop me from seeing him. His arms were in the air like he was celebrating some kind of victory, and I watched him as we drove away until he was out of sight._ _

**Author's Note:**

> We need more Lockwood and Co. fanfics.
> 
> That's it. That's the author's note. (I hope you liked the first chapter! -A)


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